Bottle or like pourers

ABSTRACT

A MEASURING POURER FOR A BOTTLE OR THE LIKE COMPRISING A GENERALLY CYLINDRICAL BODY HAVING A LOWER PORTION ADAPTED FOR FITTING INTO OR ONTO AN OPEN END OF THE BOTTLE OR THE LIKE, AN INNER COMPARTMENT PROVIDED IN AND CONCENTRICALLY ARRANGED WITH THE SAID BODY, TUBES EXTENDING FROM INSIDE THE INNER COMPARTMENT AND THROUGH THE LOWER PORTION OF THE BODY FOR EXTENDING INTO THE BOTTLE, TWO POURER OPENINGS LOCATED DIAMETRICALLY OPPOSITE ONE ANOTHER AT THE UPPER END OF THE BODY AND PARTITIONS EXTENDING DOWN BETWEEN THE BODY AND THE INNER COMPARTMENT TO EQUALLY SEPARATE THE POURER OPENINGS FROM A LOWER OPEN END OF THE INNER COMPARTMENT.

United States Patent 1,924,809 8/1933 Schuelke etal.

2,428,233 9/1947 Livadas 222/455 3,081,008 3/1963 Hester 222/478X3,148,801 9/1964 Radeloffet al. 222/4s1x Primary ExaminerSamuel F.Coleman Assistant ExaminerNon-nan L. Stack, Jr. Att0rneyYoung & ThompsonABSTRACT: A measuring pourer for a bottle or the like comprising agenerally cylindrical body having a lower portion adapted for fittinginto or onto an open end of the bottle or the like, an inner compartmentprovided in and concentrically arranged with the said body, tubesextending from inside the inner compartment and through the lowerportion of the body for extending into the bottle, two pourer openingslocated diametrically opposite one another at the upper end of the bodyand partitions extending down between the body and the inner compartmentto equally separate the pourer openings from a lower open end of theinner compartment.

BOTTLE on use rounans This invention relates to improvements in pouringdevices incorporated in or for attachment to the tops of bottles or liketo allow a measured quantity of liquid from the bottle to be dispensed.

These devices take on many forms but essentially include aliquid-measuring chamber which is charged when the bottle is invertedand emptied when the bottle is reverted to its normal position.

The object of the present invention is to provide an improved measuringpourer for a bottle or the like, the pourer having such a constructionthat not only a predetermined and accurate amount of liquid from thebottle, when the pourer is mounted over the bottle mouth, will becharged into the pourer on inversion of the bottle, but on furthermovement of the bottle the predetermined and accurate amount of liquidcan flow from one of two pourer outlets very quickly and aceurately.

In further describing the invention, reference will be made hereinafterto the accompanying drawing, in which:

FIG. 1 is an external elevation of the pourer with its tubes shownbroken in their length,

FIG. 2 is a cross section through a main part of the device and an upperpart of a bottle, and

FIG. 3 is a cross section taken on the line 3-3 in FIG. 2.

In giving effect to the invention, as a preferred embodiment, the shapeof the device can be varied to suit various bottles but the internalcompartment of its main body II has a predetermined volumetric capacityto provide for a correct measured quantity of the contents of a bottleto be dispensed.

The body 11 of the device is generally cylindrical in cross section andincludes upper and lower caps 12 and 13 the former being a push fit intothe top end of the body part and the latter is a sliding fit and can besecured by a soft rubberband (not shown) over the compositely formedridge between parts, completing the body. The body gradually reduces indiameter towards its upper end providing a ribbed peripheral shoulder 14through which are located the two pourer spouts or openings 15. Theopenings 15 are located in the peripheral shoulder 14 diametricallyopposite one another and extending in parallel with the centerline oraxis of the device, but at 90 to a flat inner shoulder of the body part.

The wall of the inner compartment 10 is concentric generally with thewall of the body II and extends from the top cap 12 down to the loweropen end 16, which is of an elongate shape in cross section. Thesidewalls or partitions 17 are located diametrically opposite oneanother and on a located position at right angles to a line passingthrough the pourer openings. The partitions extend the length of thecompartment wall to provide concentric part walls of the compartment andthe body channels (see FIG. 3) directed towards the pourer openings 15,each channel to hold a full measure of the liquid when the pourer isoperated.

The two tubes I8 and 19 are arranged one within the other. The innertubes 18 extends down for about 6 inches from its upper end inside theinner compartment 10. The outer tube 19 extends down to be locatedinside the neck of the bottle for about an inch. A cork or other plug 20is fitted onto the lower extension of the tube, 19. Preferably the tubeI9 is provided by two parts one part formed integral with the lower body13 to extend upwardly therefrom and the other tube part being a piecefitted into a hole in the body part 13. The other tube 18 is a separateone pushed into the tube 19.

The upper end of the two tubes 18, 19 end at the same level within thecompartment I0. The outer tube 19 has two external flats extending downfrom its upper end to a point to be level with the width of the lowerelongate open end 16 of the compartments 19. Thus the outer tube I9 canonly be inserted by this flattened part passing into the elongate openend 16.

In use with this improved pourer fitted to the appropriateliquid-charged bottle 21 by means of its cork 20, by inverting thebottle, the inner compartment l0 fills with liquid from the bottle throuh the two concentric air inlets of tube I9 until 18 is blocked. e aircoming m through the external openings 15 makes this liquid flowpossible. This gives a correct measure because the liquid level pivotsaround the air inlet and the area on both sides is the same capacity.

Upon reverting the bottle 21 back to its normal upright position, theliquid runs from the inner compartment I0 through its lower open end 16and into the bottom of the body 1 I of the pourer. Further tipping ofthe device allows this measured quantity of the liquid to bc held in thechannel below one of the pourer openings 15, depending which way thedevice is tipped, and the liquid in the channel is then poured normallythrough the respective opening 15 into a separate receptacle such as atumbler (not shown), and in so doing, the other and opposite opening 15by not being used, allows air to pass into the bottle 21 through the onetube, thus making it possible for the liquid in the bottle to release afurther measured quantity of the liquid into the compartment 10, whichflow again ceases as soon as the inlet tube is closed. In this case afurther measured quantity is allowed into compartment 10 whilst thefirst measured quantity is being poured into the tumbler.

The diametrically opposite pourer openings 15 will allow for eitherleft-hand or right-hand pouring and the partitions l7 separating theexternal openings 15 are required so that the pourer can be used at adesired angle and not simply at 45 angle. These partitions prevent theliquid from gushing around from one opening l5 to the other end stoppingthe liquid from being poured by cutting off air inlet. Any one side ofthe pourer will hold the same quantity as the volumetric capacity of thecompartment.

The combined supply inlet 19 from the bottle are slightly bigger thanthat of the openings I5 to ensure that the compartment I0 is filledbefore the already measured quantity has been released into the tumbler.

Preferably the top cap I2 is formed with two ears 12A so that when thecap is rotated by hand the openings 15 will be covered by the ears.

lclaim:

I. A measuring pourer for a bottle or the like, comprising a generallycylindrical hollow body having a lower portion adapted for releasablesec'urement to an open end of the bottle or the like, means defining aninner compartment concentrically within said body, said innercompartment defining an outer chamber between said inner compartment andthe body, said outer chamber surrounding a lower portion of said innercompartment and extending below said inner compartment, a pair of tubesextending from inside the inner compartment and through'the lowerportion of the body for extending into the bottle, the lower portion ofsaid inner compartment opening into the lower portion of said outerchamber, two pourer openings located diametrically opposite one anotherat the upper end of said outer chamber, and partitions extending downbetween the body and the inner compartment at equal distances betweensaid pourer openings to bisect the upper portion of said outer chamber.

2. A measuring pourer as claimed in claim I, the axes of the poureropenings extending parallel to the axis of the cylindrical body.

3. A measuring pourer as claimed in claim 1, said tubes being disposedone within the other.

4. A measuring pourer as claimed in claim 3, the inner of said tubesbeing longer than the outer of said tubes to extend a greater distanceinto the bottle, said outer tube having a flattened upper end withinsaid inner compartment.

5. A measuring pourer as claimed in claim 4, said lower portion of saidinner compartment opening into the lower portion of said outer chamberthrough openings that are disposed at opposite ends of and in line withsaid flattened upper end of said outer tube.

